Taiwan president quits as party head after China threat bet fails to win votes - Reuters

TAIPEI, Nov 26 (Reuters) - Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen resigned arsenic caput of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) connected Saturday aft her strategy to framework section elections arsenic showing defiance to China's rising bellicosity failed to wage disconnected and triumph nationalist support.

The elections for mayors, region chiefs and section councillors are ostensibly astir home issues specified arsenic the COVID-19 pandemic and crime, and those elected volition not person a nonstop accidental connected China policy.

But Tsai had recast the predetermination arsenic being much than a section vote, saying the satellite is watching however Taiwan defends its ideology amid subject tensions with China, which claims the land arsenic its territory.

The main absorption enactment the Kuomintang, oregon KMT, was starring oregon claimed triumph successful 13 of the 21 metropolis politician and region main seats up for grabs, including the superior Taipei, compared to the DPP's five, broadly successful enactment with expectations and akin to the results of the past section elections successful 2018.

"The results failed our expectations. We humbly judge the results and judge the Taiwanese people's decision," Tsai told reporters astatine enactment office arsenic she discontinue arsenic enactment head, which she besides did aft 2018's mediocre results.

"It's not similar the DPP has ne'er failed before," Tsai, who volition proceed serving arsenic president until 2024, added. "We don't person clip to consciousness sorry. We fell, but we volition basal up again."

Tsai said she had rejected a resignation connection from Premier Su Tseng-chang, besides a elder DPP member, adding she had asked him to enactment successful bureau to guarantee her policies would beryllium decently implemented.

The Cabinet said Su had agreed to enactment owed to the request for stableness amid the "arduous" home and planetary situation.

China's effect was muted, with the authoritative Xinhua quality bureau simply noting Tsai's resignation "to instrumentality work for the party's show successful Taiwan's section elections".

'RED' ACCUSATIONS

Both the DPP and KMT, which traditionally favours adjacent ties with China though powerfully denies being pro-Beijing, had concentrated their run efforts successful affluent and populous bluish Taiwan, particularly Taipei, whose politician from the tiny Taiwan People's Party could not tally again owed to word limits.

The KMT has accused Tsai and the DPP of being overly confrontational with China, and of trying to besmirch the enactment for being "red" - a notation to the colours of the Chinese Communist Party.

It focused its run connected criticising the government's effect to the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly aft a surge successful cases this year.

KMT Chairman Eric Chu celebrated their victory, but said they would besides support Taiwan's freedoms.

"We volition importune connected defending the Republic of China and protecting ideology and freedom," helium told reporters, utilizing Taiwan's authoritative name. "We volition besides enactment hard to support determination peace."

China carried retired warfare games adjacent Taiwan successful August to explicit choler astatine a sojourn to Taipei by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and its subject activities person continued, though connected a reduced scale.

The predetermination took spot a period aft the 20th legislature of China's Communist Party, wherever President Xi Jinping secured an unprecedented 3rd word successful bureau - a constituent Tsai repeatedly made connected the run trail.

Focus volition present crook to the 2024 statesmanlike and parliament election, which Tsai and the DPP won by a landslide successful 2020 connected a pledge to basal up to China and support Taiwan's freedoms.

Tsai is serving her 2nd word successful bureau and cannot basal again arsenic president due to the fact that of word limits.

Reporting by Sarah Wu and Yimou Lee; Writing by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Gerry Doyle, William Mallard, Edmund Klamann, Mark Heinrich, Kirsten Donovan

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